EDF pledges new £15bn UK funding as falling vitality costs hit earnings

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Your help makes all of the distinction. Learn extra French vitality large EDF noticed its UK earnings decline final 12 months, attributed to a mix of falling vitality costs and a big outage at one in all its nuclear energy stations.

Regardless of this setback, the corporate has introduced plans for a considerable £15 billion funding within the nation over the following three years.

The vitality agency reported a 12 per cent lower in nuclear output from its 5 operational energy stations in the course of the interval.

Whereas its Sizewell B facility in Suffolk and Torness in Scotland carried out strongly, the general output was considerably impacted by an prolonged outage on the Hartlepool energy station.

The Teesside-based station, which started producing energy 43 years in the past and provides electrical energy to roughly two million properties, skilled a protracted shutdown.

Regardless of these operational challenges, Hartlepool lately secured a one-year extension to its operational lifespan, now anticipated to generate electrical energy till March 2028.

This prolonged downtime, primarily on account of points affecting one in all its two reactor programs, was recognized as the primary driver for EDF's general decline in nuclear era final 12 months.

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/11/04/12/069ef5038ff252f00dc062113a170ae0Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzYyMzQ1MjAy-2.68566007.jpg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/11/04/12/069ef5038ff252f00dc062113a170ae0Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzYyMzQ1MjAy-2.68566007.jpg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/11/04/12/069ef5038ff252f00dc062113a170ae0Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzYyMzQ1MjAy-2.68566007.jpg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="Sizewell C has reached financial close, indicating that funding has been completed for the project (Chris Radburn/PA)" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> open picture in gallery

Sizewell C has reached monetary shut, indicating that funding has been accomplished for the venture (Chris Radburn/PA) (PA Archive) Moreover, a decline in earnings was additionally all the way down to the costs it fees for nuclear energy being decrease than in 2024.

It's understood that common costs have been down by roughly 20 per cent.

Vitality costs within the UK have been steadily coming down after spiking within the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

EDF stated that in its UK enterprise, earnings earlier than curiosity, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) have been £1.9 billion for 2025, down a couple of third from £2.9 billion in 2024.

EDF’s nuclear fleet supplied about 12 per cent of the UK’s whole energy demand final 12 months – which it says makes it Britain’s greatest generator of zero carbon electrical energy.

The corporate stated it invested greater than £5 billion in Britain over 2025, 30 per cent greater than the 12 months earlier than.

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/02/20/07/4b3c29c931c083575dcaa53beb525dcfY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzcxNjA3MzU5-2.82716248.jpg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/02/20/07/4b3c29c931c083575dcaa53beb525dcfY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzcxNjA3MzU5-2.82716248.jpg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/02/20/07/4b3c29c931c083575dcaa53beb525dcfY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzcxNjA3MzU5-2.82716248.jpg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="EDF said nuclear output from its five active power stations decreased by 12 per cent last year" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> open picture in gallery

EDF stated nuclear output from its 5 lively energy stations decreased by 12 per cent final 12 months (PA Media) Over the following three years, it plans to plug an additional £15 billion into the UK throughout its totally different companies – which additionally incorporates wind and solar energy era.

A big portion of the funding will go in direction of the event of the Hinkley Level C energy plant which is being inbuilt Somerset.

EDF is individually an investor within the main Sizewell C venture in Suffolk, which is backed by the Authorities.

The 2 developments are anticipated to offer low carbon electrical energy to fulfill 14% of UK demand and energy round 12 million properties.

Simone Rossi, chief govt of EDF within the UK, stated: “EDF is constant to take a position closely in powering, supplying and constructing an electrical Britain.

“Our UK technique is to ship a long-term nuclear and renewables era enterprise, and to fulfill the evolving wants of our clients as an increasing number of transition away from fossil fuels to utilizing cleaner, safer and inexpensive electrical energy.”